The present invention is directed generally to apparatus for supporting young trees and more particularly to a wide base tree support apparatus having only a single member extending upwardly from the ground and height adjustable diverging fingers between which the tree is positioned and maintained in space relation from the support member.
It is a common practice to stabilize the relatively frail trunks of young trees both to guard against breakage by the wind and to assure straight vertical development for aesthetic landscaping purposes. Such stabilizing is generally accomplished by a plurality of wires, ropes or the like which are looped about the tree trunk at one end and anchored into the ground at the outer ends thereof. Such wires provide a safety hazard to unsuspecting people who may trip over them and, in any event, present multiple obstacles to a lawnmower. Stability may also be provided by a stake driven into the ground in parallel relation to the tree trunk with some sort of tie means between the tree trunk and stake. But the lack of wide base support for a single stake compromises the stability of the stake itself and the tie means generally require intricate knots or looping techniques which tend to make their installation rather inconvenient and time consuming. The structural integrity of a single stake can be improved by a tripod arrangement wherein three downwardly diverging legs are anchored into the ground but this arrangement presents obstacles to a lawnmower much like the wires mentioned above.
Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved tree anchoring device.
Another object is to provide an improved tree anchoring device which provides wide base support while having only a single support rod extending upwardly from the ground surface.
A related object is to provide an improved tree anchoring device which presents only a minimum obstacle to a lawnmower.
Another object is to provide an improved tree anchoring device wherein the tree trunk is received between diverging contact fingers defining an open sided channel.
Another object is to provide an improved tree anchoring device having contact fingers which are easily vertically adjustable on a support rod.
Another object is to provide an improved tree anchoring device which is economical to manufacture, easy to install, simple and rugged in construction and efficient in operation.